Source: Morrisons Cove
Rural veterinarians in Pennsylvania are calling attention to a growing shortage of large-animal practitioners and the potential consequences for agriculture, livestock health, and food safety. During the 2026 Legislative Agribusiness Tour, veterinarians Jennifer Kauf and Mary Wright of Legacy Livestock Veterinary Service described challenges including extensive travel, unpredictable schedules, 20-hour workdays, and compensation that generally trails companion-animal practice.
Those conditions make recruiting and retaining veterinarians particularly difficult as graduates enter the profession carrying substantial student debt. Bedford County is already considered a Veterinary shortage area, raising concerns about farmers’ access to timely care for disease prevention, reproduction, emergencies, and herd health.
Kauf and Wright suggested several potential solutions, including expanded externships that expose Veterinary students to rural practice, student loan assistance, greater utilization and training of Veterinary technicians, telemedicine, and improved diagnostic equipment. Strengthening rural Veterinary medicine, they emphasized, is essential to maintaining healthy livestock, protecting the food supply, and supporting agricultural communities.